Books

Apes In Green Hell: Racism and Revisions

Dr. Karl Shuker has written numerous articles and several major books devoted to cryptozoological topics. One of his earliest books is the classic like Mystery Cats of the World (1989). But today, I do not speak of felines. He also wrote other books that have become favorites of cryptozoologists, such as Extraordinary Animals Worldwide (1991), The Lost Ark: New and Rediscovered Animals of the 20th Century (1993), From Flying Toad to Snakes with Wings (1997) and, acting jointly as consultant and contributor, Man and Beast (1993). During the 21st Century, Shuker has undertaken the revising and updating of many of [...]

Does Champ Exist?

A new 256-page book has been published that is an incredibly important contribution to cryptozoological history. It is a welcome document capturing a pivotal time in Lake Champlain Monster research Published by Coachwhip Publications, Does Champ Exist? Notes on the Historic Lake Monster Conference held in Shelburne, Vermont, 29 August 1981 by Gary S. Mangiacopra and Dwight G. Smith, has just been released. Does Champ Exist? was written, according to Chad Arment, to preserve the transcript of the (so far) only cryptozoological conference held to discuss the possible existence of an unknown species of animal in the waters of Lake [...]

Prehistoric Cryptofiction

Walter Williams* in his Prehistoric Pulp blog’s essay, “Raising the Dead: Bringing back extinct animals in fiction,” has given us a trek through what the blogger calls “paleontological fiction.” Some of us here might view what he overviews as a form of “cryptofiction.” No matter what you call it, his exercise is fun reading. In its essence, Williams shares a collection of online reviews and thoughts about these books. At its core, however, it’s a fan survey that reads with undercurrents of enjoyment and passion. Go to the link itself (given above) to fully digest where these are taking you, [...]

Free Books At “Halloween At Hadlock”

This Friday, April 17, 2007, is “Halloween at Hadlock.” I will be appearing at the Portland Sea Dogs – the Red Sox AA game – with Dan Gordon, the co-author of Haunted Baseball: Ghosts, Curses, Legends & Eerie Events (Lyons Press, 2007). Dan will be giving away five just-off-the-press editions of Haunted Baseball, and I will distribute five free copies of the 2007 edition of Mysterious America. We will be there to meet all kinds of folks, from baseball fans to ballpark Forteans. Friday, August 17, 2007 Doors Open at 5:30 PM Seadogs vs New Britain Game at 7:00 PM [...]

Skinwalkers

One of Linda Godfrey’s illustrations of you-know-what. The movie Skinwalkers opens today, so it might be time to learn more about Skinwalkers: What Are They?, from The Daily Grail. “The Best Fortean Cryptozoology Book of 2005″ picked here at Cryptomundo was Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah by Colm A. Kelleher and George Knapp. Kelleher and Knapp are the authors of the Skinwalkers item at TDG. I first wrote about Skinwalkers in 1975, in Creatures of the Other Edge, on pages 109-111. “They go very fast,” the Diné man told anthropologist William [...]

Bridge Name Game: Reeves/McDaniel

August 1, 2007: The I-35W Bridge collapses. Taking a couple Fortean and Mothman sidetreks, here is more pondering in the wake of the I-35W Bridge collapse. While reading the accounts about the fall of the Minnesota bridge, I noticed two names popped up, Reeves and McDaniel. Hang in here with me as I let that Fortean part of my brain wander and wonder. Jay Reeves, 39, was one of the first people on the scene after the collapse. He tried calling 911, but all the lines were jammed. Then, he heard the sounds of children’s screams from the school bus. [...]